They're not old enough to vote, but schoolchildren are having their say at the ballot box in order to learn more about how elections work.

Year nine students at Epsom Girls Grammar School in Auckland have been taking part in an Auckland Council-run project called Kids Voting, where they are given the chance to vote in an election in their classroom.

More than 12,000 students in 56 schools across Auckland are taking part.

Marguerite Delbet of Auckland Council democracy services said the project aimedto get young people interested in politics.

"Kids Voting is an opportunity to give real life experience about what an election is... and this time they'll vote online and build knowledge, confidence and their belief in the local body system."

The kids vote in a mock election using real voting forms and for real candidates.

Delbet said it built their confidence for when they turned 18 and were eligible to vote.

"If you teach them early they will do it."

EGGS head of social studies Pauline Farra said the school had been running the programme for the pastfew years and used it to create "citizens of the future".

"Of course one of the responsibilities of the citizen is to vote, and if they don't know and had no experience they're likely to be one of those large number of young people that don't vote."